More Early Lumber History

(Continued from Page 20)

In 1918 we disposed of our business to Patten and Davies, retaining the Hollywood, Prescott and Jerome yards, and Mr. Mullen is also associated with his sons in three other yards tributary to Los Angeles.

While I was in the Bryson Block I had my first meeting with James Schults. Schults got his start in life while acting as yard salesman in the retail yard of E. K. Wood at San Francisco. The E. K. Wood Company later sent him to Redondo to help install their yard there. W. T. Wheatley had drifted into my office and invited me to go to Redondo with him to see "Jimmy" Schults. I found "Jimmy" down on his knees straightening out foundations and cussing the man who put them in. Another meeting with Mr. Schults occurred a number of years later at the same place. He was manager of the yard, and I was president of the company, that he had just sold the yard to and lve were there taking inventory.

Upon my return to Los Angeles from my Eastern experiences, I found quite a few changes had occurred during my three years' absence, a number of new yards starting, and some of the older ones discontinued. The Stimson Mill Co: had established a large yard on East Third Street in charge of Ezra Stimson, the first manager being a Mr. Clark who was succeeded by Jesse Ives, a very energetic man who had charge of the Stimson Mill at Seattle after the yard here was closed and who become blind but was in active charge of the mill for a good many years before he died.

The Willamette Lumber Co. had established yards at Redondo and Los Angeles. Inman, Paulsen and Co. established a yard, which was afterwards sold to the Blinn-Robinson Company but later discontinued.

About the year 1900, L. W. Blinn made his first appearance in Los Angeles, having come from Tombstone where he operated-a yard owned by the Hooper interests until the town collapsed. Mr. Blinn took the position as manager of the San Pedro Lumber Company vacated by Mr. Merrick Reynolds, who was for many years manager of this company and was recognized as one of the leading men in the lumber industry in Southern California.

Mr. Blinn was also manager of the L. W. Blinrr Lum-

RETURNS FROM TRIP TO HONOLULU ber Company owned by the Hooper interests who had acquired the Davies-Henderson Lumber Company and operated a yard on Third near San Pedro. Mr. Blinn was a leading figure in the lumber industry here for a great many years until his final retirement. He severed his connection with the Hooper interests after a time, Mr. Driscoll succeeding him as manager of the L. W. Blinn Lumber Company and T. L. Ely, as manager of the San Pedro Co., which position he still occupies. Mr. Blinn afterwards organized the South Western Lumber Co. and the Blinn-Robinson Co. and later on operated a mill on the Columbia River. He died a ferv months ago.

Charles Curran, Curran Bros,, Inc., Pomona, returned from a six weeks' trip to Honolulu on April 7. Mrs. Curran and their daughter, Mrs. W. E. Yant, accompanied him on the trio.

Among my early customers was Perry Whiting of the Whiting & Mead Company. Perry started as a small contractor and got his start by taking a contract to wreck the old Methodist Church on Broadway. lle needed a place to pile his lumber and was lucky enough to purchase a large piece of property in the rear of the Pacific Electric building rvhere he first started his lumber business. I supplied him rvith shingles and flooring in carload lots and also sold him material on his contracts. Mr. Huntington wanted his property for extra trackage and he sold it to him at a good price.

E. J. Stanton was my only competitor when I first started in business, coming here from Williams, Atizona, and selling lumber and boxes and making a specialty of yellow and sugar pine and all kinds of hardwood.

He pursued a very successful policy of taking the exclusive agency for the best mills. He forged rapidly ahead, developing a fine business which is norv operated by his son Roy.

I could pursue these reminiscences indefinitely, but space is limited and I will close by saying that it was the policy of the Montgomery & Mullen Lumber Company to conduct business on an ethical basis, only establishing branch yards where they appeared to be needed and without infringing on our competitors, and I trust that we have left a record nearly equal to that of the other old stand-bys, such as Kerckhoff-Cuzner and Ganahl Lumber Company, rvho always held the confidence and esteem of the other lumber dealers for their high standards of business ethics.

H. P. ALDERMAN BACK FROM SAN FRANCISCO

H. P. Alderman. who is associated with A. L. Hoover at Los Angeles, has returned from a week's trip to San Francisco rvhere he 'ivas a visitor at the ofifices of The Pacific Lumber Company.

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Bevel Siding, Finbh and Mouldings

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GRITZMACHER & GUNTON

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